Manual transmission Fan Club and BS thread (All Generations Welcome)

Hehe, same way i learned... https://www.tacomaworld.com/posts/14536570/

 

Yeah my dad taught me how to do it when he was teaching me how to drive in that 1970. Saved my ass that day.

 

3 on the trees went a long way past the 50s, my Dads 75 Ford Van was one of them.

 

Had my 2016 DSCB TRD Sport 4x4 v6 Manual for over a year now. No issues. Love having a manual transmission (again). Would highly recommend it.

 

I've got about 140 miles on mine now, and after initially wondering if I made the right choice (it's been about 10 years since I owned a manual), I'm happy now. I didn't realize how lazy and disconnected driving an automatic had made me.

A couple questions regarding off-roading with the MT: How does Atrac work? Do you need to manipulate the clutch when it is engaged or just put in 1st and 4lo and gas it? I've seen some videos off it being used with an automatic, and I'm wondering what kind of driver input is needed with the manual. Also, are there any good videos or off-roading websites that show off-road driving technique with a manual? I'm planning on taking a trip to SW Colorado in September with my son and I like to practice some skills before actually getting into the mountains. We're planning on the Alpine Loop, Ophir, and Immogene. I've been over all of them on a motorcycle so I know what to expect, but I'm pretty new to off-roading with a truck.

 

Let me put it this way, with 4LO, you can pop the clutch on a hill in 1st and still not stall. I've almost come to a complete stop facing up a hill (manuevering around some rocks) and didn't touch the clutch because I didn't want to roll back and it didn't even stutter

 

Yep, 1st gear 4lo and you can watch the digital display say 0 mph and you still won't be stalling.

 

Sure glad I went for the MT. Been a few years, but it feels right rolling down the road shifting away.

 

My only experience with ATRAC is via the 4Runner. If I remember right, the way it works is by applying the brakes on a spinning wheel in order to send power to the non spinning wheel (usually the one with traction, therefore encountering the most resistance). Like the others said, don't worry about clutch in 4Lo 1st, just skinny pedal as needed and let the brake booster do the rest. In the 4Runner it'd give you a faux locker effect (though not nearly as good).

OA

 

Took the MT to Kansas City yesterday. Drove through about 75 miles of Flint Hills... brief yet extreme elevation changes and with a Kansas wind to boot. Stuck her in 6th and set cruise at 75. Never broke a sweat.

 

Hah! The exact thing happened to me in my '69 GTO! Was in a left turn lane and the car lurched and died. Clutch fell to the floor. Drove home by floating gears and just killing the engine at stop lights. Got rolling again in 1st with the starter.

 

Manual Transmission WAS the main thing that made me buy a Tacoma!
Manuals are getting hard to find in different makes/models.
If everybody still offered them as an option I might have bought something different.
Some people don't understand. Well I don't understand them. And I am fine with that.

 

I get that often, 'why would you buy an outdated transmission when the auto is so much better'. Well, for simpletons I just ignore them or challenge them to a race. For those that want technical info, manuals have about 10% less parasitic loss through the drivetrain, combined with my power adders, a good clutch, and solid mounted everything, Ill be getting down a hell of alot more power than an auto. Just sayin.

AND, to top it all off, like 99% of the new generations cant drive stick. One of the top theft deterrents, a manual transmission.

 

I have to agree

 

Twist the chrome little ring and it falls away from shifter.

 

You keep saying its identical, where did you get that info, yes they might have the same displacement and same intake cycle technology. Pretty sure they are two different engines, they might be from the same family of engines, but they are far from being identical. Lexus and Toyota engines might share the same displacement but all their engines are different between the two brands. This is not like infinity and nissan that share engines and drivertrains, Lexus actaully makes their own engines based on Toyota engines or vice versa we might get some Lexus stuff like the Otto/Atkinson cycle, pretty Lexus had that technology first for years. Like famous IS300, not it did not have the grandma Camry V6. And no Lotus does not used tuned-up celica or corrolla engines, yes same family, but completely reworked. Its not just a tune, its ECU, different components, different measurements, remember that Lexus engines get its power reliably, its not just a Tacoma engine with a different tune.

As far as floating gear, our modern transmission are designed with synchros, so you only disengage the clutch once, semi trucks don't have the synchros thats why you gotta double clutch or float gears. Yes you can attempt it with a modern light vehicle tranny, but you might wear your syncros out faster and its a lot less efficient since you gotta find the sweet spot, I don't understand why people insist on doing it with a modern transmissions, this truck is slow enough already.

 

I like your insightful post re differences in similar engines. I understand now. Second I agree with all you said re shifting etc. Dannyblues

 

Hey guys, having lots of fun practicing how to drive stick, especially in traffic, and had a few questions I wanted to ask.

When putting around town and stopping at stop signs, do you take off from 2nd or 1st? I feel like taking off from 2nd is a bit too high of a gearing but taking off from 1st means you gotta shift ASAP as soon as you take off. Not that I mind that.

When I approach a stop sign, I'll sometimes push the clutch in and put it into first. When doing so, I can feel some sort of resistance against the shifter that ultimately gives way in the end that I do not feel in any other gear. This only happens when I'm moving. Putting it into first at a dead stop is fine. Is this normal, or is the truck trying to tell me to stay in 2nd? My truck has less than 100 miles so it's definitely still breaking in, but wanted to check with you guys first just in case my inexperience was hurting my transmission/clutch.

This is my first manual vehicle ever so I have nothing to compare it to, past or present.

Lemme know your thoughts.

 

It's just the syncros (sp?) spinning up. perfectly normal but it wouldn't hurt to wait a bit longer to put it into first so they don't have to work so hard.

 

Always take off in first gear,it's better on your clutch. U are learning on one of the weirdest manually gearboxes ever made so it will be rough at first. First gear is way to short, and second is way to tall so the first to second up shift and downshift are at weird intervals. For the first 6 months, I kept shifting at the vvt transition point, and that would throw my shift off.
It is very normal.The truck does not let u go into 1 gear if u are under like 8mph to stop a rough gear match. So u just coast up to the stop in second or neutral and put it into first when u are ready to go.
One thing to think about is clutch longevity. U want to press the clutch in only as many times as u need to, and not ride the clutch for to long or very often.
Theses trucks shift very wierd, after a year of ownership, I still get bad shifts pretty regularly, but have learned ways to overcome the Rev hang and fly by wire throttle quirks.